Mythologies of the Wolof Tribe

The Wolof tribe in Senegal, the Gambia, and southwestern coastal Mauritania. In Senegal, the Wolof are the largest ethnic group (~39.7%), while elsewhere they are a minority. They refer to themselves as Wolof and speak the Wolof language, in the West Atlantic branch of the Niger–Congo family of languages. Their early history is unclear. The earliest documented mention of the Wolof is found in the records of 15th-century, Portuguese-financed Italian traveller Alvise Cadamosto, who mentioned well-established Islamic Wolof chiefs advised by Muslim counselors. The Wolof belonged to the medieval-era Wolof Empire of the Senegambia region. Details of the pre-Islamic religious traditions of the Wolof are unknown, and their oral traditions state them to have been adherents of Islam since the founding king of Jolof. However, historical evidence left by Islamic scholars and European travelers suggest that Wolof warriors and rulers did not initially convert to Islam, although accepting and relying on Muslim clerics as counselors and administrators. In and after the 18th century, the Wolof were impacted by the violent jihads in West Africa, which triggered internal disagreements about Islam among the Wolof. In the 19th century, as the colonial French forces launched a war against the Wolof kingdoms, the Wolof people resisted the French and converted to Islam. Contemporary Wolofs are predominantly Sufi Muslims belonging to Mouride and Tijaniyyah Islamic brotherhoods. The Wolof people, like other West African ethnic groups, historically maintained a rigid, endogamous social stratification that included nobility, clerics, castes, and slaves. The Wolof were close to the French colonial rulers, became integrated into the colonial administration, and have dominated the culture and economy of Senegal since the country's independence from France on 4 April 1960. They are also referred to as the Wollof, Jolof, Iolof, Whalof, Ialof, Olof, and Volof, among other spellings.

The Wolof (aka Jolof or Djolof) Empire was a state on the coast of West Africa, located between the Senegal and Gambia rivers, which thrived from the mid-14th to mid-16th century CE. The empire prospered on trade thanks to the two rivers providing access to the resources of the African interior and coastal traffic, commerce which included gold, hides, ivory, and slaves, and which was often carried out with European merchants, notably the Portuguese and then the French. Following the break-up of the Wolof Empire in the 16th century CE, a smaller state persisted, the Wolof Kingdom, into the 19th century CE. The Wolof language is still widely spoken today in Senegal, Gambia, and Mauritania. The Wolof as a people inhabited, from the 1st millennium BCE, the area between the Senegal River in the north and the Gambia River in the south. This West African region is often called Senegambia and covers what is today Senegal, Gambia, and southern Mauritania. Language and pottery both suggest that the ancestors of the Wolof had originally migrated here from central or eastern Africa. They fished, grew wet rice, and herded cattle, sheep, and goats (and later, pigs). They used iron for tools, pottery, and jewellery. The people of this area of West Africa also set up megalithic monuments and burial markers. Circles were formed some 8 metres (26 ft.) in diameter using stones up to 4 metres in height. The Wolof eventually became the most powerful tribe south of the Senegal River. This territory had once been under the nominal control of the Mali Empire (1240-1465 CE) after a successful campaign of expansion by Tiramaghan, a general of Sundiata Keita (r. 1230-1255 CE), the Mali king. The relationship between the two states is unclear, but the Wolof seem to have at least acknowledged the Mali kings as the main West African power. Wolof's independence can be seen in the succession of their first king or burba, the semi-legendary Ndiadiane N'diaye, traditionally placed in the 13th century CE but more likely to have been in the second half of the 14th century CE. In any case, civil wars, attacks from tribes such as the Mossi people and the shift of lucrative trade routes, meant that the Mali kings slowly lost their grip on the outer regions of their empire. Around 1468 CE, King Sunni Ali (r. 1464-1492 CE) of the Songhai Empire (c. 1460 - c. 1591 CE) then conquered the rump of the ailing Mali Empire.

Wolof, a Muslim people of Senegal and The Gambia who speak the Wolof language of the Atlantic branch of the Niger-Congo language family. The typical rural community is small (about 100 persons). Most Wolof are farmers, growing peanuts (groundnuts) as a cash crop and millet and sorghum as staples; many, however, live and work in Dakar and Banjul as traders, goldsmiths, tailors, carpenters, teachers, and civil servants. Traditional groups were characterized by a markedly hierarchical social stratification, including royalty, an aristocracy, a warrior class, commoners, slaves, and members of low-status artisan castes; at their head was a paramount chief. In the past the Wolof observed double descent; i.e., descent was traced through both the male and female lines. Islamic influence, however, has tended to make the male line dominant. A household unit may consist of a nuclear family (husband, wife, and minor children) or a polygynous family (a husband, his several wives, and their children); other close kin, however, may sometimes be found together with the nuclear family. Wolof women are renowned for their elaborate hairstyles, abundant gold ornaments, and voluminous dresses.

Wolof has become synonymous with Senegal. The Wolof people, language, culture and traditions have grown with the country, weaving themselves into the sinews of the nation and becoming a fixture within Senegalese daily life. This is an insight into that journey. The first recording of the Wolof people hails from the 15th century, after Portuguese navigators encountered Wolof Chiefs on the Senegal river. However, the Wolof had long been calling the coastal areas of West Africa home, having migrated west after the Ghana Empire fell four centuries earlier. Initially, they conquered tribes and established a large kingdom of self-governing states, which eventually split into the four chiefdoms of Walo, Baol, Cayor and Sine and Saloum by the time the Portuguese dropped anchor. Resource poor, but economically savvy, the Wolof formed convivial trade relations with three centuries of European settlers, becoming a major exporter of slaves and peanuts. Their stock eventually lowered following the abolition of slavery in the 19th century, and a war with the French demolished the Wolof kingdoms. Yet, rapid population increase and urbanisation in the midst of gaining independence in 1960 has seen the Wolofisation of Senegal once more.

The word “Wolof” also refers to the Wolof language, as well as to the states, cultures, and traditions of the Wolof people. Older French books often use the spelling Ouolof. You can also find Wolluf, Volof, and Olof, as well as rarer spellings like Yolof, Dylof, Chelof, Galof, Lolof, and others, up to the 19th century. Wollof and Woloff are both used to talk about the Gambian Wolof in English, but Wollof is closer to how the name is pronounced by people who speak English. Jolof is also often spelled as Jolof, but this is usually in reference to the Jolof Empire and Jolof Kingdom, which were in central Senegal from the 14th to the 19th centuries. In the same way, Jollof rice is the name of a rice dish from West Africa. The voyages of Ca da Mosto, which took place between 1455 and 1457, are credited with providing the first significant documentary information on the Wolof language. Oral traditions claim that the Wolof people became unified into a political federation known as the Dyolof Empire, with its capital located in the northwestern part of Senegal, perhaps during the century that immediately preceded the present one. This empire began to break apart into its component sections somewhere about the middle of the sixteenth century, which resulted in the establishment of the four major Wolof kingdoms of Baol, Kayor, Dyolof proper, and Walo. The succeeding histories of these kingdoms are fraught with political intrigue, rebellions, exploitation, and warfare, both against one another and against the Moors. This was true throughout their entire history.

Wolof people and their language stand out as significant cultural forces in the region. The Wolof language, culture, and people are integral to understanding Senegal’s heart and soul, painting a picture of a nation’s past, present, and future. This article explores the richness of the Wolof heritage, shedding light on its language, people, and cultural practices that contribute to the colorful tapestry of Senegal. Wolof is not just a language but the lifeline of communication in Senegal, serving as a lingua franca across ethnic groups and regions. It is spoken by more than 40% of Senegal’s population as a first language and by many more as a second language. Wolof’s significance extends beyond everyday conversation, permeating music, television, and radio, thus cementing its role in shaping the national identity. The Wolof language belongs to the Niger-Congo language family, characterized by its rich oral tradition. Its grammar and vocabulary are distinct, with influences from Arabic, French, and Portuguese, reflecting Senegal’s history of trade and colonialism. The language’s structure is noted for its nominal and verbal strategies to indicate tense, mood, and aspect, showcasing its complexity and depth. The Wolof people, historically known as accomplished traders and farmers, have played a central role in Senegal’s social, political, and economic life. Historically, they were organized into kingdoms, the remnants of which are seen in their strong sense of community and hierarchy. Today, they continue to influence the nation through their leadership in politics, business, and the arts. Wolof society is deeply communal, emphasizing values such as “Teranga” (hospitality), respect, and solidarity. These values are instilled from a young age, contributing to the warm and welcoming nature synonymous with Senegalese culture. The Wolof people’s social fabric is woven through extended family networks, where everyone plays a part in the community’s welfare.

The Wolof constitute a large ethnic group inhabiting the West African country of Senegal, a former French colony, and Gambia, a former British colony. "Wolof" is the name by which the people refer to themselves, and it is also the name of their indigenous language. They manifest a highly conscious sense of ethnic identity and ethnic pride. The great majority of the Wolof are concentrated in northwestern Senegambia, between the Senegal and Gambia rivers (16°10′ to 13°30′ N); the Atlantic Ocean lies to the west, and Wolof territory extends inland to about 14° 30′ W. This entire area has a tropical climate and a fairly flat landscape. Whereas the northern section has a predominantly semidesert environment called the Sahel, to the south, a grassy savanna gradually emerges with increasing numbers of shrubs and trees. This shift in vegetation coincides with an increase in the average annual rainfall, which ranges from 38 centimeters or less in the north to around 100 centimeters in the south. The rainy season lasts from June into October, and the rest of the year is distinctly dry. Because there is very little or no surface water through most of the area, villages generally depend on wells for all of their water needs except agriculture. The Wolof are the dominant ethnic group in Senegal, both politically and numerically. Rapid population increase since the early 1960s, in combination with the Wolofization of members of other ethnic groups, resulted in a 1976 census estimate of about 2,000,000 Senegalese Wolof, around 41 percent of the total population. It must be noted, however, that these figures are crude approximations.

The Wolof are one of the largest people groups that inhabit modern-day Senegal. They live anywhere from the desert area of the Sahara to the rain forests. Traditionally many Wolof lived in small villages governed by an extended family unit but now most Wolof move to cities where they are able to get jobs. Most Wolof are Muslim, in fact to be Wolof is many times thought to be Muslim. Their most popular art form is beautiful amulets which contain beautifully written sections of the Koran. These papers are enclosed in silver for jewelry or in leather as a carrying bag. Wolof are also known as the merchants of West Africa, they are very aggressive in trading, which is a big part of their history. Historically a role the Wolof are especially known for is their involvement in the slave trade. They worked capturing, transporting, and selling slaves from the port in Dakar, and with this have been involved in many different people groups. Culturally, clothing is very important to the Wolof, who are a style conscious society. To a Wolof what you wear says a tremendous amount about you. Women will dress elaborately, many times going into debt just to be dressed up to an occasion. They also wear elaborate hair styles and makeup. The Wolof are known as the trend-setters of West Africa. The family unit is very important to the Wolof. Many times a man and all his brothers and their wives and children will live together in a single compound. Many Wolof are also polygamous, however, polygamy doesn't seem to be considered natural to many of the Wolof who soon after obtaining a second wife are divorced from their first.

The Wolof people are a West African ethnic group found in northwestern Senegal, the Gambia, and southwestern coastal Mauritania. In Senegal, the Wolof are the largest ethnic group (~43.3%), while elsewhere they are a minority. They refer to themselves as Wolof and speak the Wolof language, in the West Atlantic branch of the Niger–Congo family of languages. Wolof people are the most detribalized ethnic group in Africa. Their early history is unclear and based on oral traditions that link the Wolof to the Almoravids.The earliest documented mention of the Wolof is found in the records of 15th-century, Portuguese-financed Italian traveller Alvise Cadamosto, who mentioned well-established Islamic Wolof chiefs advised by Muslim counselors. The Wolof belonged to the medieval-era Wolof Empire of the Senegambia region. Details of the pre-Islamic religious traditions of the Wolof are unknown, and their oral traditions state them to have been adherents of Islam since the founding king of Jolof. However, historical evidence left by Islamic scholars and European travelers suggest that Wolof warriors and rulers did not initially convert to Islam, although accepting and relying on Muslim clerics as counselors and administrators. In and after the 18th century, the Wolofs were impacted by the violent jihads in West Africa, which triggered internal disagreements about Islam among the Wolof. In the 19th century, as the colonial French forces launched a war against the Wolof kingdoms, the Wolof people resisted the French and converted to Islam. Contemporary Wolofs are predominantly Sufi Muslims belonging to Mouride and Tijaniyyah Islamic brotherhoods. The Wolof people, like other West African ethnic groups, historically maintained a rigid, endogamous social stratification that included nobility, clerics, castes, and slaves. The Wolof were close to the French colonial rulers, became integrated into the colonial administration, and have dominated the culture and economy of Senegal since the country's independence.